Shoe stretcher and tree



Oct. 27, 1931. M. T. ROBISON SHOE STRETCHER AND TREE Filed Dec. 25, 1929 ATTO RN EYS Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES MARION T. ROBTSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO SHOE STRETGHER AND TREE Application filed December 2a, 1929. Serial No. 415,945.

This invention relates to a shoe stretcher and tree.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a shoe stretcher of simple construc- & tion which may be readily installed at a stationary point such as on the counter of a shoe store or other suitable point of installation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which has improved means for clamping the shoe in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved toe piece for a shoe stretcher or tree.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the accompanying description. In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the toe piece.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a supporting bridge which is secured to a suitable base 2 which may be a counter in a shoe store or any other suitable support. The bridge is preferably formed of sheet metal covered with fabric (not shown), or any suitable material, the supporting surface of which is conformed somewhat to the contour of the sole and heel of a shoe. When a shoe is to be stretched, the toe thereof is inserted in a flexible band 3 of rubber or any other suitable flexible material which is fastened to the bridge in any suitable way, and a clamping head is inserted in the heel of the shoe so as to clamp that portion of the shoe to the bridge. The clamping head consists of a base at having two upright spaced-apart standards 5 and 6 which preferably have their upper ends connected together by a cross-bar 7 and are further braced by Webs 8 which extend from the standards to the base. One of the standards 5 has an upwardly projecting ear 9 to which is pivotally connected the upper end of a C-clamp 10, the lower end of the clamp having a screw 11 provided with a finger piece 13 and with a swiveled head 12 on its upper end cooperating with the bridge 1 to tightly clamp the clamping head in the heel of the shoe and thus, in connection with the band 3, rigidly hold the shoe to the bridge.

In order to stretch the shoe, there is provided a toe piece 14 of flexible material, preferably sponge rubber, which is forced into the toe of the shoe by a rod 15 which has a threaded connection with a nut 15, held from turning by the clamping head, and a swiveled connection with the toe piece. The nut 15 has a pair of laterally-extending round pins 16 which project into vertical slots 17 in the inner sides of the standards 5 and 6 to not only hold the nut from turning but to also permit the nut 'to rise and fall in the standards and assume different angular positions with relation thereto.

In order to swivelly connect the lower end of the rod 15 with the toe piece, there is secured to the toe piece a wooden block 18 having in turn secured thereto a metallic plate 19. The wooden block has a recess 18 and the metallic plate an aperture leading to the recess. The lower end of the screw 15 is reduced as indicated at 20 and to assemble the parts the reduced end of the rod is inserted in the aperture in the metallic plate before the plate is secured to the wooden block, the reduced end 20 then enlarged by swaging or otherwise so as to swivelly connect the rod with the plate and then the plate connected to the block; the recess 18 accommodating the head thus formed on the end of the rod 15.

The block 18 is preferably removably connected from the flexible toe piece in order to allow toe pieces of different sizes to be connected therewith. In order to removably connect the block and the metallic plate to the toe piece, each is provided on its upper surface with open slot 23 to accommodate a screw-24, which is screwed into the toe piece with its head impinging against the outer surface of the metallic plate. By loosening the screw it will be seen that the toe piece may be readily separated from the block so as to permit a toe piece of larger or smaller size W3 to be substituted when desired. If desired,

however, the size of the toepiece may be altered by providing a toe piece of a size suitable for the smaller sized shoes and then slipping thereon a flexible sleeve 22 of rubber or other suitable material, sleeves of varying thicknessesbeing provided to adapt the toe piece to difierent sized shoes. i Having thus described my invention, I

claim I 1. In a device-of the eharacter described, a" stationary support for a shoe, at-clamping head adapted to be inserted in the heel of a shoe, a clamping device connected with said; head and cooperating with said support to clamp the heel end of the shoe to said sup-- port, a toe piece adapted to be inserted inthe toe of the shoe, and'means operable inde-- pendentlyof the clamping device carried by said head for forcingsaid toe pieceinto the toeof the shoe. a

2. In a device ofthe character described, a support for a shoe, a clamping head adapted to be insertedin the heel of a shoe, a clamp-- ing member pivoted to said head and extending toa point below said support, said clamp-- my hand ing member havingmeans for engaging the under side of said support, a toe piece adapted'to be inserted in the toe of a shoe,'and I means carried by the head for forcing-said toepiece into said shoe; y

-3. In a device of the character described, a support for a shoe, a clamping head adapted to be inserted in the heel of a shoe, a C- shaped clamping member having its upper end pivoted to said head and its lower end projectedbevond said support, a clamping screw carried by the lower end of said clamping member adapted to engage the under side of saidsupport, a toe piece adapted to hemserted in the'toe of said shoe, and means car-' ried by said head for forcing said toe piece into the toe of said shoe;

A. In a device of the character described,

{ c a clampinghead adapted to be inserted in the heel of a shoe, said clamping head having a slotted-portion-the walls of which are provided with vertical slots, a'nut having lat: eral pins which project into said walls, a rod threaded in said nut, and a toepiece movably connectedwith' the-end of said rod,

5. In a deviceof the character described,

a clamping head adapted to be inserted in the heel ofa shoe, a'toe piece of yieldable material 7 adapted to be inserted in the toe of said shoe,

means carried by said head for forcing said yieldable toe piece into the toe of said shoe, and a sleeve of flexible material adapted to be inserted on said toe piece;

' Intestimony whereof, I havehereunto set this 17th day of December, 1929.

. MARION T. ROBISON. 

